Business News

Carhartt appoints head of E-Commerce

Work In Progress has announced to expand and strengthen its online-shop business. As one step Chris Elze has overtaken the newly created position of Head of E-Commerce for Carhartt WIP (Work in Progress)

Chris Elze says: "Carhartt has been my favourite brand since my younger days. It's a great team here in the HQ in Germany and I am looking forward to working with them to grow our online business."

Before starting with Carhartt Elze worked as Head of E-Commerce for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France at a UK-based fashion retailer and also as an e-commerce consultant for several international companies to the job. He will be based at WIP's Headquarters in Weil am Rhein in Germany. Executive search firm Fusion Associates facilitated his appointment.

WIP's e-commerce business started in May 2011 with shops in Germany, France and Switzerland. Today, shop.carhartt-wip.com also reaches Great Britain, Austria, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and Lichtenstein. Spain, Portugal and Ireland are targeted to be included into the list by the end of 2012, together with a re-launch of the online shop, planned for the beginning of November 2012.

Founded in 1994, Work in Progress Textilhandels GmbH (WIP) initiated a distribution network for Carhartt USA across Europe, introducing a selection of classic products from the original work wear range into a new market. The first product range designed exclusively by Work In Progress followed in 1997.

Since then, under license and never without the expressed consent of the company HQ in Dearborn, Michigan, WIP has been carefully adapting, re-interpreting and re-fitting work wear cuts for the demands of an active life in the urban environment.